Why are they spending money on making useful, helpful information available online and elsewhere for free? Here are a few reasons:
- It helps position them as the experts in their fields.
- Prospects discover that the information source is the best resource for the product or service they're researching (and customers are reminded of this).
- It generates Web site traffic because of the impact information has on search engine rankings -- and Web site traffic can lead to sales.
- It helps educate.
- The online exposure generates publicity when journalists discover that an individual or business shows up consistently in search engine queries
Content marketing is simple and easy. All you do is share what you know. It's a smart strategy that can be easily impletmented by organizations of all sizes. In fact, it's easier for entrepreneurs and others in smaller organizations to do this because there's less of a distance between the person with the information that has to be shared and the person who turns it into shareable content. (In many cases, they're the same!) And with fewer layers and less bureaucracy, it takes less time to approve and share the content, whether it's an article, video, audio interview, booklet, or special report.
Here are a few examples of how I use content marketing for my small business:
- Free e-newsletter loaded with tips and advice, and a free special report for those who subscribe: http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/
- How-to articles on my Web sites: http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/articles/book-news-release.htm, http://www.sandrabeckwith.com/articles/index.htm, http://www.nonprofitpublicity.com/articles/index.htm
- Articles on sites that feed content to newsletters and blogs: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2757490 and http://www.articlealley.com/article_197176_64.html
How do you use content or information marketing in your business?